UPDATE: From a reader: “I drove through heading north about 1pm and the burn looked well-contained. 73 degrees and very little wind.”
As of 10 am, it is being ignited. I got this report from a friend at River Inn: “Pretty calm here – when I drove down at 7:00 this morning, prescribed burn advisory signs were in place along the highway, and BSF was present near Molera. Looks like a “go”, Confirmed by BEU. It is taking place. It is to be “only” 90 acres. Besides the usual creating a fire break and preventing more intense fires, the other purpose given by the State Park is: “The project aims to restore the Coastal Prairie Plant Community in Andrew Molera State Park that has diminished due to competition from non-native grasses, encroachment by scrub, and lack of frequent, low intensity fires.”
Hoping it goes well… without a hitch! 🙏
Friends of mine, Nancy Kelly and Kenji Yamamoto, created a documentary on the history and merits of prescribed burns. It is called I’m A Burner, and the screening at the Mill Valley Film Festival is this weekend. Worthy of a look.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RMwoeMmuImY
The primatives only burned it because they didn’t have the means to plant and irrigate it.
Here is a really good article on the native use of prescribed fire for those interested: https://www.history.com/news/native-american-wildfires
well bless their hearts, they pulled it off !
my PTSD was well triggered but I must confess it apparently worked smoothly and without issue, well done to them !
I’d still rather it happened in a barely-dry-enough springtime , but every step in the right direction is progress, eh ?
Richard, I just want to say that I appreciate your speaking out a few weeks ago during the all too concerning post-heatwave prescribed burn. Thank you for your conscientiousness! I’m so glad it worked out well today.
The practice of prescribed burns is primative for primative reasons using a primative tool.
Consistent rain transforming the arid landscape into a biodiverse well balanced habitat for flora and fauna is the ideal climate change solution, forest undergrowth that decays as self prescribed by the forest and mycelium is water dependant, anyone that has been in a forest after a rain knows the smell of health, a burn scar does not smell healthy, it bakes the soil and requires moisture, preferably consistent rain to rehabilitate the mycorrhizal network.
Do we need prescribed burns..? Grrr!
it is unfortunate; at this stage of neglect, yes.
Is there a better way..? Yes, water, more water, clean water, life giving, life balancing water.
https://betterplaceforests.com/blog/articles/understanding-the-mycelium-and-mycorrhizal-networks
Biggest Little Farm.
A lot of armchair experts in our neck of the woods… Kudos to Cal Fire and State Parks for following best practices and getting good fire on the ground.
This is stuck in my craw: Big Sur, would you call an Esselen, Costanoan, Salinan, Chumash or any Naive American a “primative” to their face?
Native American
@scrub oak
If we were to time travel the Natives from the past to this current prescribed burn they would first recognize the practice, then silently speak with nature, then look at the people and machines and ask questions, after we told them the machines were full of water and the shovels were made of steel the natives would turn to us and ask why we started a fire when we could just make it rain, then they would call us primative while they planted and watered a forest garden.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_gardening
Additionally, If you were to ask anyone from Fire Authority if they manage and control fire, you will first get a silent stare, then a slight chuckle, then a firm no, but they will tell you their equipment and crew can get water to anywhere it is desperately needed better and faster than any other agency on the planet. You can see it in the selfless love and pride they take doing just that.
Personally I would love for them to turn on the sirens and lights and rush to water our forests garden planet before it burns.
They are the first responders to climate change, always have been, no one else does hot to cold better at scale than the fire authority, my money is on them being able to grow a better garden also.
ONE PLANET, ONE PEOPLE, ONE PURPOSE.
Cool. Now you use the term Natives instead of primatives as you did 10/4 3:26 pm.
Where is all this water to come from as we continue into a multi-year drought? A pipeline from the Mississippi River? Calling those tribes “primitives,” is disgusting, as well as ironic, considering what you’re saying has no basis in science, as opposed the large volume of research that has been done on the history and benefits of the annual burning that many tribes across America practiced, from coast-to-coast.
Thank you, Cal Fire and State Parks, for a successful burn!
@Joel L.
Yesterday is Primative, Please do better today.
Water.
https://news.mit.edu/2022/portable-desalination-drinking-water-0428
ONE PLANET, ONE PEOPLE, ONE PURPOSE.